Greetings! I did a few google searches looking for a good writing forum and I am excited at my discovery of this forum. I am 25 years old and over the last year I have decided to pursue writing as a career. What kind of writing I do not yet know—which is one reason I am here. But mostly, I am here to learn and to glean as much information as I can wrap my mind around. My short bio in relation to all things literary would read something like this: I was homeschooled all the way through high school. I took the GED and passed as a means of graduation. I did not do particularly well at English, and even today I am not quite sure of myself when it comes to technicalities. I have learned what good English looks like from my extensive reading, but I would not say that I know what good English is. Hopefully my pending read through “The Elements of Style” by Strunk and White will get me a little closer to being able to use good English and understand it. I am looking into the possibilities of going to college in order to become a better writer and to fill in the rather large gaps in my learning. This is in the not-too-distant future I hope, but for now I am content with the preliminary research I've been doing on different kinds of writing. I want to eliminate bad tendencies in my writing, and accentuate the good ones. I want to do the best I can with a style and approach I feel gifted in. I write quite a bit in my spare time. I write reviews on many different things from books, to movies, to motorcycle gear. Sometimes I write op-eds based on current events. I am working on a manuscript for a book that would be considered a “travel guide” in it's genre. I write promotions, letters, arguments, and have even made attempts at writing fiction and short stories. In short, I love to write. And I love to read. And I take writing seriously. I have nothing to teach any of you here. I am here to learn. At some point I would like to post some of my writings, but only after I have met the requirements. But I'll probably hold off for a while and learn as much as I can and practically apply it to my own writing before posting any work of my own. I hope to get to know some of you quite well, and I look forward to learning from all of you on some level. Anything and everything that you can teach me is welcome. All the best, Yitzach Meier
Glad to have you here! And you have plenty to offer us. You would be amazed how much good an honest, opinion based, review of a story can do. Best of luck to you, I look forward to seeing more of you.
Hello Yitzach, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Posting your own work should not be among the very first things you do here anyway. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog. If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate. As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize reviewing as a critical writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
thank you!! After perusing the site for a few days now I am really enjoying what's here. It's good to be here. Yitz
